Profile

Dr Sally Shaw spent her childhood learning about and enjoying the wonders of nature, encouraged by her father, a successful farmer and environmentalist in East Yorkshire, UK. She trained as a nurse/midwife and then worked in a Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand before moving to do community development work inside Cambodia with World Vision. During this time, she met her Australian husband, Doug. She later established a Cambodian NGO using improvisational drama to assist disadvantaged women and children.

After moving to live in South Australia with Doug and three young children (now adults) she learned about a decade-long drought that had severely impacted the natural environment. During this time God spoke to her about speaking out against the injustices damaging creation. This calling led her to embark on a long journey of academic study in eco-theology and creation care practice. In 2023 she completed a Doctor of Ministry through the Adelaide Uniting College of Leadership and Theology, part of the University of Divinity, where she designed and trialled a creative-arts eco-theological workshop. She is now seeking to trial her workshop template in churches, bible colleges and in para-church groups.

Sally is a director for A Rocha Australia, a Christian conservation organisation that has two projects in South Australia: one caring for a wetland in Aldinga near where she lives, and the other in the Coorong, involving conservation work in partnerships with Casinia Environmental, Wilderlands and the Ngarrindjeri people, the traditional owners of the Lower Coorong Lakes and Murray Mouth.

Sally lives with her husband, Doug, in the Aldinga EcoArts village, a large eco-community based on permaculture principles.

Qualifications

• AdvDipEd&Dev
• GradDipA
• GradDipDiv
• MEd
• D Min

Science/faith interests

Sally’s research applied the theories of transformative learning, embodied ways of learning and adult education, including neuroscience, to bring about sustainable behavioural change amongst Christians to respond to the global environmental crisis. Sally has had a long interest in climate change, biodiversity and ways to practice sustainable conservation. She does this through her work with A Rocha Australia, creation care workshops, teaching in schools/churches, different types of advocacy and the personal practice of creation care.